I grew up a Yankee fan, I favor Pitchers whenever possible, I am a stathead, and my dream job is to be a GM for an MLB franchise. In the summer, I go to MLB games and catch baseballs. In the winter, I write about what teams are doing to get better or worse. I try to be positive and unbiased in my writing, but that isn't always possible when evaluating teams truthfully.

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I just wanted to have a single place where people can see all of the 2013 gate times for all 30 stadiums because I know that especially in my first year ballhawking, it was a pain to look for the times thttp://mlblogsmateofischer.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.phphe gates at different stadiums opened. And before you say anything, I know this is a complete rip-off of Erik Jabs’ entry. The reason I write it is that entry is two years old, so I figured we needed an updated version of it for the 2013 season. Disclaimer: these times are unofficial and are derived from a combination of personal experience and researching the teams’ websites as of January, 15, 2013. If you want to be 100% sure this information is correct and current when you plan to go to the ballpark, contact the team beforehand. So here we go:

Angels Stadium:

Home Plate Gate opens 2 hours before first pitch is scheduled, except on day games (12:35p, 1:05p and 4:05p). On day games it will open 90 minutes before first pitch. All other gates open 90 minutes before first pitch every day.

AT&T Park:

All Gates open 2 hours before game time. (Pro Tip: You can see through the RF wall, so you can possibly get toss-ups even before the gates themselves open. If you’re hoping to get something during normal BP, though, you need someone to hold your place in line at one of the gates before you do this, because especially this year the bleachers get packed really early, so you should try your hardest to be the first person in the stadium.)

Busch Stadium:

All Gates open 2 hours before game time.

Chase Field:

“Chase Field opens one and a half (1.5) hours before each game Monday through Thursday and two (2) hours before each weekend game.”

(Pro Tip: You can get into the stadium even earlier by going through the “Friday’s” in left field.)

Citi Field:

“Monday-Friday/Weekday Games – Rotunda and Hodges VIPEntrance open 2 hours before the game. All other gates 1 1/2 hours prior to the game.

Saturday & Sunday Games – Rotunda and Hodges VIP Entrance open 2 hours before the game. All other gates 1 1/2 hours prior to the game. Rotunda opens 2 1/2 hours before the game for Mets Season Ticket Holders.”

(Pro Tip: The Mets don’t allow guests, so you must actually have your own season ticket to get in early on the weekends.)

Citizens Bank Park:

Ashburn Alley Gate opens 2.5 hours prior to first pitch every day.

All Other Gates open 1.5 hours before game time on weekdays and 2 hours before game time on Saturday and Sunday.

(Pro Tip: When Ashburn Alley opens, you can only be in the left field of the bleachers. When the other gates open is when the rest of the stadium opens to the public.)

The starting times of all games are tentative and subject to change due to Major League Baseball television agreements with ESPN and FOX. Time changes can potentially occur up to 10 days prior to a scheduled game date. Guests should be advised that game tickets will be honored on the game date listed regardless of the time change. Guests should be aware of this possibility. Log on to tigers.com or check other local media outlets for the time changes that may occur.

The Tiger Den, Tiger Club, Beer Hall, The Labatt Blue Light Jungle, MotorCity Casino Champions Club and Suite Levels open two (2) hours prior to the scheduled game time.

On select days throughout the year Season Ticket Holders have an exclusive early entry allowing them in the ballpark 2 hours prior to game time to watch batting practice from left field behind the bullpens to the statues in left-center field. Entry is through Gate C located on the corner of Adams and Brush Streets.”

Coors Field:

“Gates A (Rockpile entrance) and E will open 2 hours prior to game time for Guests who want to view batting practice. Guests will be required to stay in the Left Field Pavilion area until the remaining ballpark gates open. Gates B, C and D will open 1 1/2 hours prior to game time. Gate opening times may vary if game is rescheduled.”

Dodgers Stadium:

“Third base side Field & Loge Level and Left Pavilion gates open 2 hours prior to the start of the game. All other gates open 1 1/2 hours prior to the first pitch. All parking gates open 2 hours prior to the start of each game. Gate times may vary for special events such as Opening Day and the Postseason.”

Fenway Park:

“The ballpark opens two hours (120 minutes) before game start time on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and 90 minutes before game start time Monday — Thursday.”

(Pro Tip: Last year–although there’s no information for the upcoming season–members of Red Sox Nation got to enter the stadium on the Green Monster 2.5 hours early. The price–again, because there’s still no information about the 2013 season–last year was $15 for a one-time membership fee.)

Great American Ballpark:

All Gates open 90 minutes before the game.

Season ticket holders get to get into the stadium 2 hours before first pitch.

(Pro Tip: In 2012, I believe–there wasn’t anything on the site–there was a “BP Tour” where people could get in 2.5 hours early, so be on the lookout for that in 2013. The tickets to the tour are $15, but it could be well worth it with an extra hour of essentially ballhawking alone.)

And here are some great nuggets of information the previously mentioned Erik left as a comment: “In Cincy, there is a BP tour that leaves at 4:30 from the Hall of Fame Club and costs $17. Season Ticket Holders come in at 5:10 – at that time folks on the tour are permitted in the seating bowl to the Reds dugout, and 5:40 you can go anywhere when the rest of the gates open – usually a dash to left field for all the easter eggs.”

Kauffman Stadium:

“All gates will open 1.5 hours prior to game time Fri – Sun. Gates A & E in the Outfield Experience will open 1.5 hours prior to game time Mon – Thurs. All remaining gates (Gates B, C & D) will open 1 hour prior to game time Mon – Thurs.”

Marlins Park:

Premium Gates open 2 hours before game time. All Other Gates open 90 minutes before game time. (Pro Tip: There are ways to get tickets that can get you in through the “premium” gates.

Miller Park:

“Gates open 2 hours prior to the scheduled start for all Marquee Games.

In April, May, and September, gates open 90 minutes prior to the scheduled start of non-Marquee Games, 7 days a week.

In June, July, and August, gates open 90 minutes prior to the scheduled start of non-Marquee Games Sunday-Friday and 2 hours prior on Saturdays.

All gate opening times are subject to change.”

(Pro Tip: You can get into the stadium early through Friday’s Front Row Grill in left field. However, know this: There is a one-hour table limit, and there is a minimum bill (it was $30 when I went there last) so pre-arrange a meet-up with SOMEone to split the bill with, because 1. That’s a lot of extra money to spend. 2. One should probably not ingest $30 worth of food and beverage before ballhawking.)

Minute Maid Park:

All Gates open 90 minutes before game time.

Nationals Park:

Center Field Plaza Gate opens 2.5 hours before first pitch.

All Other Gates open 1.5 hours early.

(Pro Tip: When the main gate opens, people are always allowed into the left field and Red Seats in center field. However, they sometimes have the lower and upper seats in right field open when the main gate opens. If they aren’t open when the main gate opens, they, along with the rest of the ballpark will open with the rest of the gates. Foul territory is (almost) never open until 1.5 hours before game time.)

Oakland Coliseum:

Gates open 1.5 hours before game time Monday-Friday, and 2 hours early Saturday & Sunday.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards:

The Eutaw Street Gates (A and H) open 2 hours before game time. (Pro Tip: Season ticket holders are allowed to go into the main seating bowl at this time while “regular ticket holders” must wait until 1.5 hours before game time, so see if you can get tickets from them. They’re nice people, so I’m sure you can get hooked-up.)

Petco Park:

“Many ballpark gates open for admittance one and one-half (1 1/2) hours prior to the first pitch for Monday through Thursday games, and two (2) hours before the first pitch for Friday through Sunday games. The Park at the Park opens two and one-half (2 1/2) hours prior to the first pitch and allow guest access to the Park at the Park and the Padres Power Alley.”

PNC Park:

“Gates open one and one half hours (1 1/2) prior to game time (Monday through Sunday) and two hours on Opening Day. The Riverwalk will open two (2) hours before weekday (Monday-Friday) games and two and one half hours (2 1/2) prior to weekend (Saturday-Sunday) games.” And a bit of information Erik himself gave about the gate situation”PNC Park Riverwalk opens at 4:30 Mon-Sat for night games. For day games, it opens 2 hours early, but there is no early entrance to left field during BP. You have to stay out on the riverwalk until 90 mins before first pitch.”

(Pro Tip: When the Riverwalk opens, Pirates season ticket holders into the left field seats. Like Oriole Park at Camden Yards, these holders are nice people too, so you can/should see if you can get one of them to bring you in (ideally beforehand) too, because they are allowed to bring in guests.)

Progressive Field:

“For all night games at Progressive Field (Monday – Saturday), Gate C will open at 4:30 p.m. to allow fans access to the Market Pavilion, Heritage Park and the Right Field Lower Reserved seats until 6:00 p.m. This will enable fans to watch the Indians take Batting Practice, as well as time to enjoy Heritage Park in the center field area. At 6:00 p.m. ALL gates will open. For 1:05 p.m. day games, all gates will open at 11:30 a.m. For all 12:05 p.m. day games, gates will open at 11 a.m. Special gate times exist for Terrace Club and Premium Seating guests.”

Rangers Ballpark:

“First and Third Base Gates open two hours prior to game time for night games and one and one-half hours prior to game time for afternoon games. Home Plate and Center Field Gates at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington open one and one-half hours prior to game time for all games. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to watch batting practice, infield workouts and pre-game ceremonies. Gate openings are subject to change.” (Pro Tip: I’ve heard that season ticket holder get to go in a half-hour early and get to bring in a guest, so see if you can make friends before the gates open to possibly get in a little early.)

Rogers Centre:

They actually have *nothing* on their site about the gates, so I’m going to go out on a whim and say they haven’t changed since when Erik wrote his entry, but if you’re reading this sentence, Malcolm, please enlighten us on the truth. By the way, if you want to check out Erik’s entry, this whole excerpt from it is linked to the entry itself:

(Pro Tip: Like most stadiums with one gate opening earlier than the others, when the ‘Pen and Center Field Gates open, you are limited to that part of the stadium and when the rest of the gates open, you can access the rest of the stadium.)

Target Field:

Gates open 90 minutes before the game Monday-Thursday.

Gates open 2 hours before first pitch Friday-Sunday.

(Pro Tip: Unless you have a particular spot that is essential to your ballhawking strategy, there is a small chance that you can get a ball from outside of the gates at Gate 34 in right field.)

(Pro Tip: Again, you are limited to the left and center field seats for the first half-hour– the former of which is fortunately is one of the best sections of outfield seating in all of baseball–but 2 hours before the game begins, you can go into foul ground and the right field seats. So if there are a bunch of lefties or the left field seats are just packed, that’s when you can get out of there.)

U.S. Cellular Field:

“The U.S. Cellular Field gates open 90 minutes prior to game time, unless otherwise noted. On Kids Days, the gates will open two (2) hours prior to game time.”

(Pro Tip: This is only in the case of tickets being waaaay out of your price range; don’t try this if you can help it. But at “the Cell”, it is their policy that you *need* a field-level ticket to access the field-level seating no matter if it’s right as the gates open or anything. However, if you find yourself without a ticket for there, you can ask to visit something that only exists on the lower level–like a hat store or something; do your own research! And then, depending on the humanity of the usher, you can maybe get in there. (Credit: Sean Bigness))

Wrigley Field:

All Gates open 2 hours before the game.

(Pro Tip(s): Like the other Chicago park, be conscious of where your ticket is. I have heard of some exceptions (although no one who has done it seems to know how they did it) but for the most part; if you buy a bleacher ticket, you can only be in the bleachers for the whole game, and vice-versa for a seating bowl ticket. So that’s the first thing. The second thing is: the bleachers are general admission. That means the first person gets the best seat. Naturally, this means people show up earlier for the bleachers. Thirdly, Wrigley Field–renovations and all–is still small in the left field bleacher portion of the stadium, so it’s possible to snag baseballs before you get in the stadium on Waveland Ave. Additionally, there are some (although substantailly fewer) fences in the outfield wall where one can see into the stadium, so it is also possible to get a player to toss you a ball while out there before the gates open.)

Yankee Stadium:

All Gates open 2 hours before first pitch.

(Pro Tip: Don’t let this fool you, unless you can splurge for a field-level ticket–because of the Yankees’ suckiness when it comes to fan relations–it’s more like a ballpark that opens 1.5 hours before the game because it’s there policy to kick anyone without a ticket for field-level seats 45 minutes after the gates. (So during the beginning of visitor’s BP.))

Sorted By Earliest Gate On Weekdays:(This discounts early-access stadium tour and such like those at Fenway Park and Great American Ballpark.)

Oh, and before we even entertain the possibility, I’m not making this next year, so I suspect one of you reading this will have to pick up the torch next offseason. However, while you’re here, you can vote for what you’d like to see me write about next, if you haven’t already. Keep in mind you can vote for more than one entry topic. This is especially important this time because I’ve already begun writing the next entry by the time you read this:

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8/24/08 Dodgers at Phillies: Citizens Bank Park
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